Kemptville Campus to be revamped into community education hub

RealAgriculture News Team

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March 16, 2018March 18, 2018

The former University of Guelph Kemptville Campus will begin its transformation into a community education hub following a purchase agreement by the municipality of North Grenville facilitated by the province.

According to a release by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the agreement will see the majority of the Kemptville campus converted into a community hub that focuses on education and training, health and wellness, and economic development emphasizing climate change resiliency and low carbon innovation.

In 2014, Ontario hired Lyle Vanclief, a former federal Minister of Agriculture, to explore options for the future of the campus, formerly run by the University of Guelph as an agricultural college.

“It has been an extensive process, but we are extremely pleased that an agreement has been reached, and we are looking forward to further exploring the possibilities for the development of the hub and the benefits it will bring to our community,” says David Gordon, mayor of North Grenville.

Announced this week, the municipality will acquire a large portion of the main campus and surrounding property including approximately 633 acres of land, including 34 buildings.

The operation and maintenance of the renewed Kemptville Campus will be through a wholly-owned not-for-profit corporation, which will operate at arm’s length from the municipality. The mandate for the not-for-profit will be to develop the Kemptville Campus Education & Community Hub as a multi-tenant site, according to the municipality.

More information will be rolled out next week. Current media releases do not specifically mention the continued offering of agriculture programming at the campus.

RealAgriculture News Team

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